An overview of a comprehensive study of the behavior and fate of mercury in the estuarine Patuxent River is presented. Filterable 0. Dissolved gaseous section Hg DGHg concentrations were highest up to pg L -1 in the summer in the mesohaline, but were not well correlated with primary production or chlorophyll a, demonstrating the complex nature of Hg 0 formation and cycling in an estuarine environment. Organic matter content appeared to control the Hg T content of sediments, while MeHg in sediments was positively correlated with Hg T and organic matter, and negatively correlated with sulfide.
MeHg in sediments was low 0. Preliminary findings suggest that net MeHg production within sediments exceeds net accumulation. Although Hg T in pore waters increased with increasing sulfide, bulk MeHg concentrations decreased.
The concentration of MeHg in sediments was not related to the concentration of Hg T in pore waters. Comparison with other ecosystems, and the negative correlation between pore water sulfide and sediment MeHg, suggest that sulfide limits production and accumulation of MeHg in this system. This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access. Rent this article via DeepDyve. Institutional subscriptions.
Nature β Google Scholar. Water Res. Bloom N Determination of picogram levels of methylmercury by aqueous phase ethylation followed by cryogenic gas chromatography with cold vapour atomic fluorescence detection. Acta β Water Air Soil Poll. Estuaries β Lawrence estuary. Estuarine Coastal Shelf Sci. Special Report Reference Baltimore, MD. Marine Chem. Biogeochemistry β Thesis, Univ.
Part I. Part II. Report to the Maryland Dept. Schwarzes Quecksilbersulfid. Download references. You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar. Reprints and permissions. Benoit, J.
